The present invention relates to animate body heat exchanging and, more particularly, both to a therapy component that includes a gas pressure bladder having a structure which inhibits unwanted expansion of the same, and a method of manufacturing such therapy component.
It is now common to apply cold and compression to a traumatized area of a human body to facilitate healing and prevent unwanted consequences of the trauma. In fact, the acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) is now used by many.
Cold packing with ice bags or the like traditionally has been used to provide deep core cooling of a body part. Elastic wraps are often applied to provide compression.
It will be appreciated that these traditional techniques are quite uncontrollable. For example, the temperature of an ice pack will, of course, change when the ice melts, and it has been shown that the application of elastic wraps and, consequently, the pressure provided by the same, varies considerably even when the wrappers are experienced individuals.
Because of these and other difficulties, many in the field have turned to more complicated animate body heat exchanger. Most effective animate body heat exchangers typically include two major components, an external compliant therapy component covering a body part to be subjected to heat exchange, and a control component for producing a flowing heat exchange liquid. Many control units also produce and supply an air or other gas pressure needed to apply pressure to a body part and to press the heat exchange liquid toward such body part. This air pressure is directed to another compliant bladder of the therapy component, which air pressure bladder overlays the liquid bladder to press such liquid bladder against the body part to be subjected to heat exchange, as well as apply compression to the body part to reduce edema.
As can be seen, a commonly used external therapy component uses a pair of compliant bladders to contain fluids; that is, it preferably has both a compliant bladder for containing a circulating heat exchange liquid and a gas pressure bladder which overlays the liquid bladder for inhibiting edema and for pressing the liquid bladder against the body part to be subjected to heat exchange. One problem is that in many therapy component configurations of tis nature, the gas pressure bladder tends to xe2x80x9cballoonxe2x80x9d or, in other words, expand to a much greater degree than is desired. This unwanted expansion can be the cause of several problems. For one, it can actually pull away from the body part, some or all of the conformal heat exchange bladder. For another, it can reduce its edema inhibition ability, as well as reduce the desired effect of pressing the heat exchange bladder into contact with the body part.
The present invention is directed to remedying the above problems. From the broad standpoint it includes in a two bladder therapy component, a plurality of connections interiorly of the gas pressure bladder connecting such bladder""s generally parallel walls together. In a preferred arrangement in which the bladders are formed together by heat sealing, a portion of the connections provided in the heat exchange liquid bladder to control and direct its flow are also provided in the gas pressure bladder, thereby providing the wall connections. In this connection, the preferred therapy component of the invention is made from three sheets of material. Two of such sheets are used to form a pair of walls for the heat exchange liquid bladder. The other sheet forms the outer wall of the gas bladder and cooperates with one of the other sheets to form the closed gas bladder. In other words, three sheets of material form two pair of walls defining the two pairs of bladders with one common wall.
The method of the invention relates to manufacturing the therapy component. In the preferred arrangement it is directed to heat sealing the various walls and connections to assure that connections are provided within the gas pressure bladder.
Other features and advantages of the invention either will become apparent or will be described in connection with the following, more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and variations.